RI Hockey HOF Enshrines Three Brunonians

PROVIDENCE, RI – Three people with connections to the Brown Men's Ice Hockey program were inducted into The Rhode Island Hockey Hall of Fame over the weekend. Bob Gaudreau, Jim Fullerton and Art Lesieur were among the 11 inductees honored Saturday as part of the organizations combined 2020 and 2021 induction ceremonies.

Due to the pandemic, the event was held virtually which you can view in its entirety here.

Fullerton was part of a 7-member class from 2020 that was enshrined while Gaudreau and Lesieur were part of a 4-member class this year.

Robert R. Gaudreau '66, a two-time All-American, came to Brown from Hope High in Providence. During his three varsity seasons, the 6-3, 190-pound Gaudreau stamped himself as one of the greatest of all Brown hockey players. He was first team All-Ivy three straight years, in addition to being a two-time All-east and All-New England selection.

Gaudreau was the highest scoring defenseman in Eastern collegiate ranks for three years and ended his career as Brown's most production defenseman with 35 goals and 55 assists for 90 points. The smooth-skating Gaudreau was voted the outstanding defenseman in New England for the 1965-66 season and he received the Walter Brown Trophy given annually to the outstanding hockey player in the East. In 1964-65, Gaudreau led the Bruins to the Ivy League title and a place in the NCAA Tournament held at Meehan Auditorium. The Bruin All-American played on the 1968 United States Olympic hockey team. He was inducted into the Brown Athletic Hall of Fame in 1971.

James H. Fullerton was Brown's first full-time hockey coach and one of the most outstanding coaches and finest gentlemen in collegiate hockey history. During his 15 seasons on College Hill (1955-70), Fullerton four times won the Clark Hodder Award as New England Coach of the Year and, in 1964-65, his peers honored him with the Spencer Penrose United States Coach of the Year Award.

At Brown, Jim Fullerton had a record of 184-168-9, coached three All-Americans (Bob Gaudreau '65 and '66, Wayne Small '68 and Curt Bennett '70), and had 13 first-team All-Ivy selections. Fullerton's 1964-65 team posted a 21-9 record, won the Ivy League title, and finished fourth in the country at the NCAA Tournament, held that year in Brown's Meehan Auditorium. A native of Beverly, MA, Fullerton attended Norwich University, where he played football and was a star goalie on the hockey team. After turning down an offer to play pro hockey, Fullerton coached at Northwood School in Lake Placid for 24 years, winning 86 percent of his games.

A superb defensive coach and one of the great innovators of the game, Fullerton could turn out fine hockey teams even when he didn't have top-flight material. Some of his defensive alignments, including his version of the short-handed "box-defense," were copied by the pros. In 1967-68, Fullerton served as president of the American College Hockey Coaches Association and in 1973 he was named to the Collegiate Hockey Hall of Fame. The genial Fullerton, the man who stuck to old moral values while teaching new hockey methods, received a touching five-minute standing ovation from the 3,000 fans who packed Meehan Auditorium for his final home game in March of 1970.

Fullerton also scouted for the NHL's NY Rangers and Chicago Blackhawks and was inducted into the Brown Athletic Hall of Fame in 1974 and into the US Hockey Hall of Fame in 1992, one year after his passing.

Lesieur coached at Brown during the 1938-39 season where he pulled off an interesting hat trick of sorts.

While coaching on College Hill that season, he also managed to coach the historic Mount St. Charles high school hockey program and play for the Rhode Island Reds professional hockey team as well.

Born in Fall River, MA, Lesieur spent most of his adult life in Rhode Island where he would come to be known as a physical presence on the ice and emotional leader.

He captured 6 league championships with the Reds and helped the Montreal Canadiens win the Stanley Cup in 1931 becoming the first US-born Canadiens' player to have his name etched on the Stanley Cup.

Lesieur, a defenseman, also played professionally for the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks.

He was also the first US-born hockey player to be drafted into the armed forces in 1941 where he served for five years, including three in combat.

He was inducted into the Reds' Hall of Fame in 1963 as part of their first class. He passed away in 1967.

Brown University Athletics

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